Siara found herself once more standing before the gate to Skyhold, checking over her gear before setting off again. Usually she wasn't bothered about leaving, it was all part of the job, but this time she had a few mixed feelings about it. She was glad to be getting away from Jacquelyn, but equally she wasn't too happy about it. Who knew how long she'd be gone for, and she'd actually started vaguely thinking of Skyhold as her home.
Varric and Dorian crossed over to her, Siara raising an eyebrow as she noticed the pack that Dorian had flung over his shoulder and the big grin on his face.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, half stepping back from Blaze.
"Well, aren't you in a good mood today!" Dorian exclaimed, Varric almost rolling his eyes. "And here I was thinking you'd be happy to see that I'm coming along."
"Why, exactly, are you coming?"
"We pulled straws to figure out who could babysit you while you're gone," Varric's eyes gleamed with mischief. "For once, the dwarf didn't pull the short one."
"Hardly," Dorian sniffed. "I volunteered. Wanted to get away from here for a bit."
"What, Bull getting on your nerves?" Siara teased, Dorian hardly batting an eye.
"He's been getting on something, all right," he said, Siara pulling a face.
"I don't want to know."
"He and the Chargers are being sent out to deal with some matter or another," Dorian explained.
"And getting him out of my hair would be doing me a big favour," Varric added, Dorian glaring down at the dwarf. "What do you say, Spooks?"
"I think you two need to get your stories straight," Siara scoffed, once more checking over Blaze's saddle. "Did he draw the short straw, or pining over Bull and needing a distraction?"
"Can't it be both?" Varric asked.
"I definitely feel like it's more one than the other," Dorian was already walking off to get a horse saddled up for him, Siara watching him for a moment before turning back to Varric. "If I'm doing you a favour, then you can do me one, too," she said.
"Already? Geez, Spooks, it's like you expected me to ask you to take over babysitting Sparkler for a bit."
Siara couldn't help but smile slightly, shrugging.
"Maybe I'm psychic," she joked. "Look, I made a deal with Cullen and I need you to make sure he holds up his end of the deal. Dorian can make sure I hold up mine, but I need you to make sure that he doesn't take any more lyrium. I can't be here to do it, so I need someone to take my place in absentia. Hit him over the head with a frying pan if you have to."
"I can do that," Varric agreed. "What was your end of the deal?"
"I have to give up having fun," Siara grinned, then swung herself up onto Blaze as Dorian approached once more.
"I'm ready when you are," he said, smoothly mounting a dark grey gelding.
"Just waiting on the others that Cullen's sending to the boonies," Siara turned in her saddle to regard the small group of troops that Cullen was sending with them.
"I better get back to my duties," Varric grumbled. "You be careful out there, Spooks. And keep in touch."
"I always keep in touch."
"The several years you spent without writing so much as a letter would say differently."
Siara pulled a face with an unimpressed grunt, shrugging.
"There was a blight…" she grumbled when she noticed Dorian watching her with interest.
"I suppose that's as good an excuse as any," he said, rather too cheerfully as Varric walked away.
Jacquelyn stood watching as the small group of troops mounted their horses and prepared to set off through the gates. Her eyes lingered on Siara, her face set in a slight frown. That stunt Siara had pulled when she apologised… Jacquelyn was still irked by it. Siara hadn't meant what she said, Jacquelyn was sure of it. Why would the elf mean it? There was almost no chance that the apology was real, but it had restricted what punishment could be implemented. Sirara must have known that the sentence would have been lessened if she was seen by the public as remorseful. It was irritating how calculated that move had been, and Jacquelyn wished she could have given a different punishment, one that was stronger. She was already aware that people were beginning to talk, which meant that unfortunately, she'd have to allow Siara to return earlier than she would have liked.
"I take it that," Morrigan stepped up beside Jacquelyn, giving the Inquisitor a slight fright, "is the Blade riding off with the Inquisition's men."
"It is," Jacquelyn confirmed, regarding Morrigan, "Is that a problem?"
"Not really. Simply curious," the mage muttered, a small frown on her face. "I have been trying to meet her since arriving in Skyhold, but the Blade seems to be quite the busy woman."
"Why do you want to meet her?" Jacquelyn struggled to keep her face the picture of polite interest.
"I'm intrigued," Morrigan admitted, but didn't expand on the statement. Jacquelyn allowed silence to fall between them for a moment, hoping that her companion would continue speaking, but soon realising that she wouldn't.
"What are you so intrigued about? Is it because Siara is Mara's younger sister?"
Morrigan slowly inclined her head, quietly confirming Jacquelyn's suspicions. Jacquelyn tried to contain the scoff that threatened to escape..
"Siara is nothing like the Hero of Ferelden," she muttered, "she would never sacrifice herself to save anything."
"Respectfully, I will withhold judgement until I can see that for myself," Morrigan said, turning her yellow eyes on Jacquelyn. The Inquisitor tried to swallow down the discomfort shivering up her spine and turned away.
"I fear you shall be disappointed."
Leliana met Jacquelyn soon after the Inquisitor stepped inside, glancing out the door to where Morrigan still stood looking out at the vanishing troops, but she didn't say anything.
"Is everything all right?" Jacquelyn struggled to keep a sigh back, sensing that something else had happened.
"We received news from the Emprise du Lion," she said. "They're requesting more assistance."
"Are the men we sent to handle the red lyrium problem not enough?" Jacquelyn tried to sound concerned, but she felt mild irritation building.
"Their work is going well," Leliana assured her. "Red templars and lyrium alike are being cleared from the area. The request for assistance comes from a man helping one of the nearby villages."
"I am listening."
"A chevalier by the name Michel de Chevin wrote to us, informing us that the town of Sahrnia is being threatened by a demon that goes by the name Imshael," Leliana handed a piece of parchment over to Jacquelyn. "He says he can explain more once you arrive, and that he cannot face this demon as the town needs his protection from both demons sent by Imshael and the red templars."
"Did you not just say that our men are being successful in clearing the area of red templars?" Jacquelyn challenged, unfolding the parchment and looking over the tidy handwriting, taking in the words that Michel had written.
"They are, but that doesn't mean that they have been cleared out yet. There are many templars, and our men can only move so fast."
Jacquelyn hummed, almost dismissively, before taking in a deep breath and looking her spymaster in the eyes.
"I shall look into it. Send word to Ser Michel that I shall be there with backup as soon as possible, and that he should go to the nearest Inquisition camp to request a small accompaniment to assist him in the meanwhile."
Leliana inclined her head and backed away until she was far enough from Jacquelyn to politely turn from her and head off back to her head of operations.
Jacquelyn brushed a hand back through her hair, turning and looking towards the hall that would lead to Cullen's study. She hadn't seen him at all today, and she wondered if she should be concerned. But she shook the feeling off. She would make a point of seeing him before she left for the Emprise. For now, she had packing and other preparations to attend to.